Rotary compound explosive-engine.



M. H. SULLIVAN. a ROTARY COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLIUATION FILED AUG.16}1905. EENE'WED MAR. B, 1908.

1,006,417,. Patented Oct. 17,1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. H. SULLIVAN.

ROTARY COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG 16, 1905. RENEWED HA3. 6, 1908. 1,006,417. Patented Oct. 17,1911

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lm/Mums o I Y W 7%: MM

M. H. SULLIVAN.

ROTARY COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905. RENEWED MAR. 6, 1908. 1

1,006,417. Patentd 0C1).'17,1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

avwemtoz M. g. SULLIVAN. ROTARY COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905, RENEWED MAB. 8, 1908.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

H ,alll'wzig M. H. SULLIVAN. ROTARY GOMPOUND EXPLOYSIVE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1a, 1005. nnxnwnn 11111;. 6, 1908.

1,006,417, "Patented 0013.17,1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

v M. H. SULLIVAN. ROTARY COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 1116.16, 1905. nmwnwnn mu. 6. 190B. v Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

6 EHEETB-BHEET 6.

[III/ll V l zmmlzzem Quorum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL H. SULLIVAN, 0F POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN LAWRENCE MURPHY, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1905, Serial No. 274,441.

Patented Oct. 1'7, 1911. Renewed March 6, 1908. Serial No. 419,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL H. SULLIVAX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Compound Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification. Y

My intention is an improved rotary compound explosive engineand its primary object is to provide an engine in which both the pressure energy and the velocity or impact energy of gases may be utilized to the fullest extent, this object being attained by providing a rotary motor having rotary pistons and means for generating and exploding an explosive mixture which is directed against the pistons to utilize the explosive or pressure energy of the gases, and by connecting to the motor shaft so as to turn therewith, impact vanes or buckets against which the gases discharged from the rotary motor are directed soas to utilize the impact or velocity energy of said gases and thus compound the action of the engine.

A further object is to provide an improved form of engine ofthis class having a revoluble wheelprovided with pistons and with vanes or buckets, means to apply fluid under high pressure to the said pistons, to rotate said revoluble wheel, and an accumulator into which the exhaust discharges and in which the same expands, said accumulator supplying fluid for operation against the vanes or buckets and compounding the action of the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is'a top plan view of an engine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same,'the shaft being shown in section on the plane indicated by the line w-a of.

Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view from'the inner side, showing one of the" casing sections; Fig. 4 is a similar View, showing the other casing section ,Fig. 5 is a. vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-1) of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the revoluble element; Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of one of the pistons of the revoluble element; Fig. 8 is a sectional View, taken on the. plane indicated by the line (;0 of Fig. 1, and intersecting the carburetor or vaporizer; Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of one of the combustion chambers, illustrating its reto the combustion chamber and controls communication between the combustion chamber and the piston chamber, to permit the charge when exploded to expend its force in. the piston chamber; Fig. '10 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view of my improved engine, and Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view of one of the packing rings of the piston-carrying wheel and its connect-ions.

The casing 1 of my improved engine is composedof two sections 2, 3. The section 2 has the portion 4 which is cylindrical in form and of enlarged diameter, and the portion 5, which is also cylindrical in form, is of smaller diameter than the portion 4, and is on one side thereof. The enlarged portion 4 forms a cylindrical wheel chamber 6 for the revolving piston-carrying wheel 7. The section 3 comprises a flat, circular inner portion-8 which is bolted to one side of the section 2 by bolts 9, said section 2 having a peripheral flange 10 through which the said b'olts pass. The said Section 3 also journaled in thrust bearings 14 which are provided with adjusting screws 15, the inner ends of which are stepped in recesses in the ends of said shaft. The said screws prevent ii casual'endwise movement of the shaft and corresponding. transverse movement of the wheel 7, and also enable the shaft and wheel to be adjusted to prevent undue friction between either side of the wheel and either side of the casing.

The wheel 7 is provided with a plurality of radially-disposed slots 16, two being the preferred number, as here shown, and arranged diametrically opposite each other. The said slots extend from within a suitable distance of the center of the wheel to within a suitable distance fromthe periphery thereof, and within each of said slots is placed a piston 17 which is slidable therein transversely with reference to the wheel.

In the sides of the said slots are antifriction'rollers that when the sections are united, theinner points 19 of one section will be arranged opposite the extreme outer points ,20 of the opposite section, and as the edges 19 of each sect-ion abut against the wheel 7, it will be seen that I provide a series of four separate and distinct chambers 21 in which the pistons operate. a

' In the inner face of the periphery of the enlarged portion 4 of the casing section 2 is.

a cam groove 22 which extends obliquely across the same and annular'l within the said casing section, and whic is parallel at all points with the walls 'in the ends of the casing section. Each piston 17 has a pin 23 projecting from its outer'side, at 1ts center, and on the outer end of which is mounted an anti-friction roller 24 which travels in the cam groove 22 and coacts with said cam groove toimpart reciprocating movement to the piston. The peripheral portion of the' wheel 7 is provided with transverse slots 25 in which operate antifriction rollers 26 which are journaled on the said pins 23. The wheel 7 is provided on opposite sides, at suitable distances from its center, and pe'ripher with concentrically-disposed packing rings 27 which are recessed therein and each of which is provided with a plurality of inwardly, extending studs 28 which enter the transverse openings in the wheel, have their inner ends hollowed, and are provided with coil springs 29 which act to keep the said packing rings in contact with the'sides of the casing. It will be understood that said packing rings are carried by andrevolve with the sald wheel. The abutments formed by the irregular end Walls of the casing sections are provided at their'apexes with packing plates 30 which are held-by springs 31 in frictional engagement with the sides of the wheel. One of the piston chambers 21 in eachside of the piston casing has an inlet channel 31 and an exhaust port 32, and the casing has an accumulating, or expanding chamber 33 formed therein, here shown as extending nearly entirely around-the same and termina'ting in a discharge port 34, in which is placed a nozzle 35 that is disposed obliquely with reference to and discharges correspondingly against one side of the. .wheel 7, near the periphery. thereof. The peripheral portion of thewheel 7 is provided with obliquely-disposed transverse chambers 36 which form. impact vanes, against which strike the exhaust products discharged from the piston chambers into the accumulating .port 31. cams 58 on the shaft, said camsbeing so 'timed as tofirst open and close the valve 56,

or expanding chamber 33 and discharged from said chamber 33 so that the exhaust gases or products are utilized in rotating the piston-carrying wheel, thereby compounding the action of the engine, as will be understood. The exhaust is indicatedat 73. One piston chamber in each section of the casing is provided with a cold air intake" port 37 and an air discharge port 38. The shaft 13 drives an air compressor 39 which ,75 com resses air in a tank or reservoir 40.

-T e compressed air tank is connected by pipes 41 with Vaporizers 42, each of which comprises an inner, vaporizing chamber 43, and an outer, heating chamber 44,"which extends around but does not communicate with the vaporizing chamber. In the vaporizing chamber is a cylindrical .valve chamber 45 in which operates an oil feed valve 46, which is cylindrical in form and has an annular recess 47 that forms an oil duct. A port 48 connects the valve chamber with the vaporizing chamber, and there is an oil-supply pipe 74 that leads to said valve chamber. A spring 50 normally-maintains the valve 46 in position to cut off communication between the oil-supply pipe and the vaporizing chamber. Said valve has a rod 51 provided with a tappet roller 52 which bears against a cam 53 on the shaft, said cam acting once at each rotation of the shaft to move the valve against the tension of the spring, so that the oil duct registers with the oil supply pipe and the port '48,'and hence causes a charge of oil to be fed to the vaporizing chamber. The pipe 41 .communicates with the vaporizing chamber, so that the latter is supplied with compressed air, heated by radiation from the heating chamber 44, and hence the oil serves to carburet theair, the oil and air forming a highly combustible and explosive vapor or gas, as will be understood. Each section of the casing 1 has on its outer side a combustion chamber 54 which c'ommunicates with one of the ports 31 and also communicates with the vaporizing chamber of one of the vaporizers'by a duct 55. Said duct is normally closed by a valve 56. -A

spring-pressed valve 57 normally closes the The said valves are operated by to charge the combustion chamber, and to then open the valve 57 at the instant of the lgnit ion and explosion of'the charge, so that the force of theexploded charge will pass into -one of the chambers 21, behind one of the pistons, to revolve the piston-carrying wheel. The respective combustion chambers with their valves, on opposite sides of the casing, are so located that the charges therein are alternately exploded and their force directed. into chambers 21 on opposite sides of the wheel, thereby causing the latter to run steadily and evenly. 13)

" said chamber being air reservoir.

the outer air or 'to a suitable It will be understood that the'iorce of the exploded charges acts on the pistons in only one of the chambers 21 on each side of the wheel. The other of suchchambers oneach side of the wheel has its port "37 provided with a cold air intake pipe 59, and its port 38 connected by a pipe '60 to the outer, heating chamber 44 of one of the vaporizer-s, ovidd also with a discharge pipe 61 which may l'e'ad'either to gas producer or carbureter, as may be desire It will be understood that at each rotatioh of the wheel, cold air will be sucked into one of the chambers 21 on each side thereof, which will prevent overheatin of 'the engine, the air will be highly hea'te and will be driveh through the outer, heating chambers of the Vaporizers before being discharged, and

hence the heated air will serve to keep the Vaporizers heated to the degree required to vaporize' the carbureted 'air ed to the vaporizing chambers thereof from the compressed Each combustioh chamber has a sparker or igniter 62, here indicated as an electric sparker, and said s arkers are operated by cams "63 on the sha From the compressed air tank or 1'eser-. voir 40 leads a pipe 64 which communicates with the chambers 21 in which the'pistonsf .operate through branch pipes 66'. A valve said valve is opened,

(pipes, and when the enthereby admitting compressed air directly intothe piston chambers and utilizing the compressed air to start the engine; Said valve *is then. closed, and the engine con:

tinues to operate, as before described.

The air compressor 39 is similar in construction to the casing 1, and the pistoncarrying wheel therein, the wheel inwthe air compressor bein operated directly by the engine shaft. T e said air compressor-has an air inlet valve 68. The compressed air tank or reservoir 40 communicates with a cylinder 69, in which is a piston 70 which is moved in one direction by a spring 71, and, Y

upon an excess of pressure in the said tank or reservoir 40, is moved 1n the opposlte d1- rectlon by the said excess pressure. A link 72 is here shown asconnecting the said pisj ton to the lever of the valve 68, so that on i an excess of pressure of air in the tank 40, the piston 70 will be operated to close or partly close the'valve 168, as the case may be, to put the air compressor either entirely or partly out of. action, and hence diminish engine from running at too high a rate of speed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in utilized to the fullest 'quently, more of the original heat in the gases is converted into useful mechanical charges and directing them against the ro-' any high pressure pistons I arrange impact vanes o'r buckets to rothte with the motor shaft, and i provide ah accumulator which receives the gases from the rotary exp'ld'siv'e motor and directs them "against the impact vanes or buckets to compound the a'ct'o'n of the "engine. utilizing rotary high pressure pistons, a very high speed can be. developed and in associating with such r'otary pistons, "the impact or turbine vanes to receive the velocity or impact energy in the gases after they leave the high pressure piston chambers, bOththe pressure energy and the velocity energy of the ases are extent and, consework than 'in other engines in use at the present time. 7

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

'1. An en 'ne of the class described, comprisin a w eel casing provided at its sides with igh pressure chambers, a wheel mounted for rotation in said casing and having pistons to operate in said chambers, said wheel being rovided with peripheral impact vanes or uckets, a shaft driven by said wheel, an air compressing element operated by said shaft, means for storing the product of said compressing element, means to .admit air to the engine from said storing means to start the engine, means for generating high pressure fluid to act upon said pistons, and an accumulator into which the chambers exhaust, said accumulator having a discharge portion entered tangentially into. the casing in position to inject the exhaust fluid against the vanes or buckets.

2. An engine of the class described having a casing provided with a wheel chamber,

high pressure piston, chambers on opposite sides thereof, an accumulator into wh ch the exhaust from the high pressure chambers discharges, said accumulator having a discharge port leading to the outer portion of the wheel chamber, a revoluble wheel in the wheel chamber, ,movable pistons carried thereby to operate in the high pressure chambers, air compressor 1 means driven by i the wheel, means engaged by the discharge from the accumulator to assist in turning said wheel, means to generate high pressure fluid to act upon said pistons, a storage tank connected to the air com ressor, and means for admitting air from t 0 storage tank to f the engine to start the same.

I around the casing and into which the cham- 3. An engine of the class described comprising a wheel casin'ghaving its side walls recessed to form high pressure chambers, a wheel mounted for rotation in said casing and having pistons to operate in said chambers,.said wheel being provided with impact vanes or buckets, air compressor means driven by said wheel, a tank connected to the compressor, means to admit the air from the tank to the engine for primary starting purposes, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the chambers to act on said pistons, and an accumulator extended marginally bers exhaust, said accumulator having a discharge nozzle entered tangentially into the compressor driven by said pistons, means admitting the air from said compressor to said engine for initia'lstarting purposes, and means for generating high pressure products of combustionfor said pistons.

5. An'engine of the class .described having a casing, a revoluble wheel therein having movable pistons carried therebyand further provided with peripheral vanes or buckets, said casing having high pressure chambers in which the pistons operate, a

chamber in which the peripheral vanes or buckets operate, concentrically disposed packing rings on the sides of the wheel, said packing rings being carried by and revolving with the wheel and bearing against the end wall of the casing one at a point between the pistons and said chamber, and the other at a point between the pistonsand the center of the wheel, an air compressor driven by the wheel, a tank connected to the air compressor, means admitting the air from the tank to the engine to act upon said pistons,

and means or generating high pressure fluid to act upt said pistons. I

6. An engine of the class-described, comprising a wheel casing provided with high pressure chambers, a shaft journaled for rotation in said casing, a wheel arranged in the casing For rotation with said shaft and having movable pistons to operate in said chambers, said wheel being provided with peripheral vanes or buckets, an air compressor driven by said wheel, a reservoir connected to said compressor, means for controlling the passage of air from the reser-- voir to the engine for initial starting purposes, means for generating high pressure fluid to act upon the pistons, and an accumulator into which the chambers exhaust, said accumulator having a discharge portion entered into the casing in position to inject the exhaust against the vanes or buckets for compounding the action of the engine.

7. An,engine'of the classdescribed having a casing provided with a Wheel chamber, a revoluble wheel in the Wheel chamber, high pressure piston chambers on opposite sides of said wheel chamber, an accumulator into which the exhaust from the high pressure chambers discharges, rotary vanes positioned to be engaged by the dischar e from the accumulator, pistons in the hi pressure chambers carried by the whee means for generating power fluid to initially start the engine, and explosion chambers fpr generating igh pressure fluid for use in said piston c ambers,

8. A rotary compound explosive engine comprising a rotatably mounted shaft, a

-wheel carried by said shaft and carrying rotary pistons, a casing for the wheel and-pro vided on opposite sides of the latter with high pressure chambers in which said pistons operate, combustion chambers in communication with the high pressure piston chambers, means for generating explosive charges and admitting t em to said combus- -tion chambers, means for exploding charges in said combustion chambers and directing' the exploded gases against the high ressure pistons, an accumulator to receive t e discharged from the high pressure chambers, an annular series of impact vanes or'buckets connected to said shaft to rotate therewith,

means for directing the gases in said accu-' mulator against said vanes or buckets for compounding the action of the engine, air compressor means driven from said shaft, a

tank connected to the com ressor, and means for admitting air from t e tank 'to the engine for primary starting purposes. I

9. A, rotary compound explosive engine comprisinga rotatably mounted shaft, 3. wheel upon the shaft and can ing rotary pistons, a casing for the wheei providing high pressure chambers on opposite sides of thelatterin which said pistons operate, an annular series of impact vanes or buckets movable with said shaft, combustion chambers communicating wth the high ressure pistonchambers, igniting devices or said combustion chambers and actuated from said shaft, an air compressor actuated from said shaft, an air tank connected to the air compressor, means connected to said tank and to said combustion chambers for generatin explosive charges, including a valve actuate from said shaft, means actuated from said shaft for admitting the explosive charges THU into said combustion chambers and means nctusteci from said shaft for admitting exploded gases from the combustion chambers to said high pressure piston chambers, an ac cumuleto'r to receive the gases discharged from. the high ressure piston chambers, nieens for directing the gases in said; accuinter against seici vanes or buckets to compound the action of the engine, means to ad mit iiiom said tank to the engine for primary starting' purposes, and means controlled by the pressure in said tank for controlling the air compressor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 15 i of patent ins be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

-Wa.s hington, J). G. 

